Kia offers first look at second-gen Cadenza

A rendering suggest the next-generation Kia Cadenza will have a more angular look than the current model.

Kia Motors Corp. released the first images of the redesigned 2017 Cadenza, which is scheduled to go on sale globally next year.

The decision to redesign the Cadenza, which starts at about $35,000, signals Kia will not abandon its high-end cars despite corporate sibling Hyundai’s campaign to create a dedicated luxury brand, Genesis.

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The renderings suggest the next-generation Cadenza will have a more angular look than the current model, penned by Kia president and design chief Peter Schreyer and introduced in South Korea in 2010.

They show a deep crease in the sheet metal above the door sills, as well as a fold in Kia’s signature “tiger nose” grille. Accentuating the front end are Kia’s signature LED daytime running lights, which look like a tray of four ice cubes.

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Kia launched the Cadenza in the United States in 2013, halfway through the car’s product cycle. With a goal of selling about 12,000 Cadenzas per year, Kia sold 9,267 in 2014 and 5,898 more through the first 10 months of 2015.